The Sun. — London, England, 1818-01-06 00:00:00

DISTRESSED SEAMEN. Testerday at the City of London Tavern, a most respectable Meeting, of Merchants, Ship-owners, and Ot hets, was held for the purpose of taking into consideration the best means of affording relief to tineni;sioyed and distressed Seamen, and for aiding i~t lie entorcen:ent of -the laws against impostors ati.tinting the appearance of Seamen for the pur- , pose of begging : . Owing to the very tinfavoura• hie st ; . ) te of the weather, the numbers were not so ;treat as might otherwise have been expected. At, two o'clock, tVILESEK.7OIIO2, Esq. M.P. %vas unanimously called to the Chair. On taking; the Chair, he begged leave to 'ob , set ve',. that he had he, n most unintentionally and u:twmmrtl►ily placed in it. fie said unintentionally, lwe a u le he had only a few slays ago heard that , suell a A.lteting was to be held ; ,and he might say unworthily, for be was by no means so fully pre pared to explain the objeet of -the Meeting, and to dev . elope its plan, as a Chaitman ought naturally to be. ,One thing, however, he 'could Fay, and be was sure without any difficulty, that certainly very great distress existed anion; these gallant men, who had so honourably acquitted themselves in the hour of danger, and fought the battles of their country. 'That that distress-ought to be al leviated in sonle manner or other was unquestion alile, and on that account he had Wished some better qualified person . than himself had been ap pointed Chairman. ,They would now bear a series of Resolutions proposed, which as Chair- . man he should submit to their Consideration. Mr. MARTEN moved the first and second Reso lutions, which sta.ed, that lately, and within these few necks, the streets of this Metropolis had been uttuv.s ally crowded . with destitute Seamen, and their cas.e deserved the most serious attention. Mr. Dout , ..volua asked, whether the proposed relivt was to be,solely i .;iven to Seamen, as he con ceived the Meeting had been convened for the porpose Of considering the best means of relicv aiog the deserving .poor, and considering what could be (loose with respect to -the alai:wing men dicky of the Metropolis. . • • '. Mr. Rowcnorr, in reply. stated, that the re. moval of, the mendich y in the Metropolis was the olVect of another Committee, and for which ano ther-Meeting wool', be held. The Committee had thought it infinitely better for them to direct their attention to a-specific class, which had misery and claims enough to engage them. The Seamen had a ..peculiar claim on generous attention, as the most of them were extra-parochial, and the rman ner of treatment should be,adopted towards them was very'differ.ent from that of the Metro polis mendicants. There was another Committee appointed for attending to that, and the publi c meeting be had alluded to would be held On Thursday next, It was of course, as the Meet ing would see, much bitter to have this arrange ment than to blend the ttlio promiscuously. ‘Vt•it. VitENn-, Esq. was of the same opinion,. Lie load seen in. The Times Newspaper a- letter signed " Philanthropos," in which that individual stated that he should call a meeting, in case no one else did. In The Morning Chronicle of the same day, rasa letter sent by hinv(Mr. F ) without any sig nature, which he had also stated that if it was not-done by some other person, who could better recommend it, he would take upon himself the, responsibility of calling suck a meeting, and giV ioglhose who were better 'qualified than himself ao• opportunity to act. He had during the last year served on three Coroner's Juries, and when be said so, ,he, begged leave to add it was on ac count of..tlie small district in which he heed, and the difficulty which thereby often occurred -of making up the numbers E of a Jury, for no Man could discharge his duties better, or with incite impartiality, than the Coronerof London did. In one of t he verdicts the Jury woe compelled to declare that the deceased died for want of .toad, and such circumstances had been unfolded in the other two cases, as would not be easily forgotten lay the Jury. To relate these now was onneCes sary; as too gentleman certainly required his hu manity to be excited. He therefore cordially ap proved of two Committees, as they could 'inure easily accomplish ,whatthey we're required by hu manity to do: The 3d and, 4tio Resolutions were then read, which stated' tbat the cases would be examined, and thereby impostors detected, and dealt with. according to law. Qn th, question that a subscription be raised, nARTEN stated, that Mr. Stephen, , his worthy friend, load that day had an interview with' the First Lord of the Admiralty, and .that, that Lord had proMised, of behalf of the Admiralty, that as touch would be done on behalf of the sea men as the.Aduriralty could with propriety do, on the recommendation or suggestion of ,a CoMmit tee. -.lton the desirable object, it was neces sary that money should be raised,' in order that the poor, homeless, helpless wandeeer, might be shielded from the storm. A vessel was prepared for this ptirp9se to be stationed at Blackwall, for receiving•such as on examination were found de _ serving. DRISKALL understood Government had two vessels, one at Deptford, and the other the De thligueux;at Woolwich,• ready: fitted up, and he suggested it would he much better at mice to ap ply•to.the Secretary of State for the. Hoine De .partment; Who could give an order on the - subject. JAM ES, STEPHEN,,ESq. M.P. fell it was proper • f or hi m to • s tate what hat! liken 'place in the dif ferent parts he had borne in this case. His inter pplition was only the pfoll of the worbthy Chair man, Mr. Wilherfmce, whose health might be in jured in-this severe weather. On the .first,tneet lug of •the Committee, it was suggested that the most expedient way would be, to apply t0.:C49, vernment to have some accommodation for these; wri:talied sufferers. ;Accordingly he •had applied to Mr..croker, Cie Secretary of the Admiralty, by request of the Committee, to inform him•ot their proposed intention to call a public tweeting on the subject. He had received an official letter from Mr. Croker, stating that their Lordships would concur with the wishes of the Committee as fur as they could with propriety, but, for eel., twit►reasons, it was impossible for their Lord shippi. to. officer any vest I, .but that they would , lend the Committee a vessel on security being given for it, though their Lordships' were Afraid that Gentlemen were not aware of the difficulties they might have to encounter. TheirLordships' reason for not giving officers.to the vessel was, that they could not enforce Orders on board of such a vessel, the mud not being entered as usual.. The Ganges was now lying at lilackwall. It had been origi.; nally fitted up . for the Lascars, and the Owner . had generously said he would accommodate the Com mittee' with her, if he was paid the interest of the purchase money. In addition:4p the information he had received lions Mr. cf,rocir, Lord Melville wrote to - him that morning, 141 d he had had an in terview with his Lordship, who had promised that if a Committee were appointed by the Meeting, and any thing suggested which tile ,Admiralty, consistently. with public duty, could do, he pledged himself it should be done. 'He had only further to add, that the - expence of the vessel he had alluded to would be only 12 guineas a month. . Mr. MAT-rnmtfMARTIN said., the seamen might be comisidefed those either belonging formerly to men of war, to merchant vessels, or to the East India Cotnpany. Now, many of those, he be lieved, who brlonged to the men of war, origin ally.were provided.with pensions, anti thereby less objects of public' charity. The second class, he believed, were really very distressed, and he had in several instances supplied sonic of them with clothes, which he belieied were afterwards sold, as indeed was.ofren time case: There was one very fine young man whom he had given clothes to, hut who afterwards went and sold them.' Perhaps the better and more advisable Wily would to lend them clothes, on their producing a note from time Captain of a vessel, though, perhaps, often false notes might be produced. An inspeetor would be of much service near the water side. Mi.. DRINK/U.l. observed, that the foreign sea- Men talien up by the late Lord .Mayor had been accommodated 'Avid) offwers. -Very few of the sailors to be sects. in the streets were fit- for mer chantmen-, ,as a great many of them belonged to the Out-ports. Economy was, above all things, the hest thing to be attendud to. - . . ' Mr. MARTEN would be g:ail of the last Speaker's assistance in the Committee, and to, them it was sorely best to leave the adoption of particular plans. . Mr. DBINKALL considered that Government would find it their object to attend- to,tive state of 'the seamen, in the event of what might perhaps be the case. His great object in what he sug gested was, to guard the Committee against con tracting large accounts in the fiist instance ; .and• he must again repeat, that he firmly believed, were .an application made; to the Secretary` of State for the Home Department, his Lotdship would issue an order to the Admiralty to grant the two vessels he l oad already alluded to,,for the use t)f, the Committee..; these vessels being- eel., tainly the property of the public, but not of the Admiralty.. 117 r. DOIINFORD, observing Sir James Shaw pre sent, one of the Representative!, in Paeliament of the City, wished he would explain how it came to pass that the salutary arrangement adopted by Government at the close of the late war, for removing the vagrant Seamen from the Metro polis, and plating them in a v e s se l i n t h e River, had been abatidooed, considering the vet y salutary effects ‘i,hich had been thereby produced.--Tto bably he could faymir the Meeting with some ex planation of this. Sir JAMES SHAW .said he should, as shortly as possible,_explain what had taken place about 18 or !4 months ago, under the Mayoralty of the late Lord Mayor. lie felt h 4 was botind to do - so, after the manner in whiCh he' had been called on by the'llonourable Gentleman who last addressed them. it was well known,' that at the dose of the late war, in which this country had been for so many years engaged, the streets of this exten sive Metropolis were crowded, in a great deg o ree, -by discharged Seamen. Their appearance and .numbers attracted the notice of - the late Lord Mayor, who, in consequence, consulted his fel low Magistrate's, what they considered it was pro per to do in such a situation.. They having con sidered- what they should do, felt themielves bound to wait on the Secretary of State for the Home Department, awl on the Noble Lord at the, head of the AdmiValty, by whom, it was but . jest ice ttesay, the Magistrates of London were received with the utmost pol!teness and attention. .The Lord Mayor conceived the most advantageous mode which could be adopted, both as regarded the Seamen themselves, and the clearing of the . streets, was to station a vessel in the River, under the jurisdiction of the Magistracy of London and Middlesex, with proper Government Officers on board, and also a' Purser on board, for the express purpose of taking care of provisions ; and that the Lord Mayor and Magistrates of the Cityand County shouldcause all vagrants to be apprehended and sent there, where they should be examined, in order that those found fit, on such examination, for actual ser vice, might be employed in the first ship that should. be put in commission ; that, those not fit for ser viceshould be sent to their respective homes ; that foreigners might be give.o in charge to their respective Consuls ; and that men of colour should be sent ,either to Africa, or stationed in some of his Majesty's Colonies abroad. Such was what, had occurred to the late Lord Mayor, and in which his fellow Magistrates concurred. The plan was agreed to by Government, and the naked clothed from the Government stores, A 'vessel was sta tioned in the River ; and so effectual was the re medy, that in a short time ver y few vagrants were to be seen in the public or private streets or alleys. How the vessel had since been removed he could not say, neither would he attemyt to say,; but he had no difficulty in asserting, from the kind attention then strewn by his Majesty's Ministers', that it would now soccied, were an application made to Government, and ' that simi 4ar -good would follow. Were Magistrates and Parish-Lfficers but to do their duty, the excellent • effects would be speedily see n, and the number of vagrants and mendicants rapidly decrease. - Mr. OMMANEY said, from the experience be had bad, the ,Meeting ( would see the iddispensible.ne- • ce,ssity they were under of treating seamen with, proper caution. The system of sending them to 13titlewell Was totally inadequate, and Would never do; and for himself he could-say, be bad there Seen wretchedness exhibited la the ,strongest And most awful light. lie , really thought' that there were sufficient receptacles for seamen already with- _ . , out providinff more, and that . every parish was bound to take . up every vagrant found in it. It parishes were to do their dipy, and everyman do his, then would.wc not he required to be drawn together. Caution should be certainly taken; but he must' own lie was not inclined for always having money given. Parish . constables were hound to do their duty through the day as well as through the nigla,• for it was well known these -creatures were suffered to roam ,about 'through day, while through night they were taken up, and oft plundered. Captain FRANKLIN said, from his knowledg e . as a Captain of an Eait Wittman, he was prepared to speak .a few words on the subject. lie had seen.these miserable creatures in a situation which must shock even the stoutest heart, naked and homeless, friendless and hungry. lie had in some instances given'some of them'slops, but Ittiw , was it possible, nay rational, to think that dim men in that miserable state of- nudity 'could be: em i .l o y e a ? Who would engage them ? For tiip;i• % self he could say, no man was, none could be, more -disposed than himself to give them assist ance ;, and next year lie should certai n ly' engage as many of them as he could, in a vessel which he was just now building. Another question was, what was to hecome of the old men ? It was im possible to think what c mild be done with those between - forty-five and fifty, as young men were chiefly wanted, not Only in merchant vessels, but by Government whenever any fleet or vessel was fitted out by Government. These , were points Worthy of some notice, and .certainly of consider able tnomeUr. Captain GORDON, R.N. - Secretary, drew a most affecting picture of the miseries he had witnessed among the discharged Seamen .in London. - One evening he went to one of those miserable places in St, llotolph, Aldgate, where these creatures spent the , night. In four small rooms, 14 feet by IG, he found fourscore wretches in a state, to describe which was truly impossible. ,He could discern among them few men, fir they were really skeletons, Seam'en's skeletons as he could well per ceive,. He Epicstioned them about what exertions they had made to procure a ship, when one and all expressed with eagerness' their wish to serve, but 'that from their naked aPpearance no one would employ them.. Willing to work, they were alriue prevented from doing so by their miserable appearance. Nothing he was con fident could have induced them to resort to that place, that nbxious place, but their being reduced, to t h e last shift. He might well call it a noxious .place, for .the smell was intolerable, and the air Most baneful. That it could not be otherwise might easily be seen from what he had stated re specting the : size of the miserable holes they were placed in, as those who could pay three-pence a night were allowed -a bed, that is, allowed to lie ' on an old torn mattress on the floor, without a c 9-, vet ing ; and those who could only pay two-pence, were allowed to conic in, but not to lie dow:noxhilg those who could . not afford that miserable pit tance, were debarred from enteting. On his return from this- miserable place, he found five in the streets, who had not been fortunate enough tri'l .raise this two-pence. They %very, standing in the streets in a cold frosty night; shivering 'in the cold„ while their uncovered limbs .were exposed to all the severities of the tveather. One of them was lying with his tongue out, in a very greatleVer. Numerous were the instances which had occurred of these brave defenders of their couatry, these ,own who were worthy of a better fate, perishing froM actual starvation. One was about three weeks ago found dead, another carried to St.- George's Hospital, where he died, while a third yielded up a miserable existence on Green wich beach. When such things were thought of, when such things were known to be facts, it be came every man to he active and do his duty. IVhen a great many of these men were found young and active, and fit for duty, it became every man to step forward and use every rxertian to hare such cases attended to. The cause, in a great measure; of their ruin, might be attributed to their being catched when they came on ,shore, by a set of petty agents, who laid in wait to entrap them; and their then going tohouses of debauchery, where they were stript of their all, and left to wretched ness and woe. Mr. STEPuteN defended himself and others who had been instrumental to ,calling this Meeting, from the imputation cast .upon them by Mr: Om nianey, of having unnecessarily drawn Gentlemen from their ordinary occupations, to promote an object which ought to have been effected by Go.; vernment alone. The individuals who, like him self, had seen the expediency of calling the pre sent Meeting, had not acted hastily, or without consideration. It was not, in fact, till commu nication was bad with his Majesty's Government, and until, relief without the aid of public bene volence was folind impracticable, that the Meet ing had been convened ; and•if they had en tered mach further into the discussion, in all probability the delay would have occasion ed the death of many unhappy seamen.—lf the worthy Alderman (Sir James Sham) were cor rect, there *as no occasion for private charity, and they were told that if the Magistrates did their - duty, there would be no necessity for assailing the feelings of the public. ,• After the soul-harrowing scenes which every man must have witnessed, this was rather an extraordinary declaration from one of the Magistrates, of London. Why then, be would ask, had not the Magistrates• done their duty 1 if the statement of the Hon. Baronet, • were correct, though the distress had hitherto es caped his humane attention; he hoped the Magis trates would now, through his means, be so ef fectually aroused to a sense of the necessity Which demanded their exertions, that the Commit tee would find from - them a powerful co-operation. Till their efforts, however, were brought into -play, the Committee would have sufficient to-de mand their attention, and'when theirlabours were rendered' useless by' thp adoption of more eligible , means, be would only say-they would feel happy in resigning their painful office. He- denied that there was any adequate _means of relief for the class of person s meant to be assisted. It bad not occurred to the Lord Mayor that - the remedy was as easy to applied as the Hon. Baronet hail supposed, flis first expression bad been—he was ready to subscribe fifty pounds, or more, if that would be 'or any service. He had consented to • grant the use o f a room i n die Mansion House for a public Meeting on th e su bj ec t, an d to ta k e the Chair at such Meeting. He had not thought the remedy easy, but he had told him (Mr..S.) of the manlier in which he had. sent away several indivi• duals -wild he dOubted not,though the Lord Mayo! 'did not tell him that, had been libera.lly assisted out of his own pocket. He eloquently proceeded to show, that under'present ciremustances, a subs scription to relieve distresied seamen was necessary,. as the Admiralty could dot' legally send money and clothing to those who might be put oh board the reeelving , !'ship. Here was a body of distr.ess that they were called.upon to relieve. By clothing the unfortunate men they •wished to as sist, Much good.would be done. Every shilling so expended would go to the root of the evil, ae it would tend to enable them to get employment. Under these eircumstances, Genzlemen could put their names down, and if their assistance should be found unnecessary, , they would 'not be called upon for their suhs - ctiptions but-at all events, they . would have the satisfaction - (4lw:swing that fh one way or another they (rid done something to soften the unhappy lilt Of those who .were scribed by the Poet as doomed to " Beg their bitter bread, ‘"fliro' realms their valour saved." Sir JAMES SHAW explained. •. The Loaf, MAYOR next addressed the Meeting- He observed that he came there •not as tbe•Chief Magistrate, but.as a citizen and man of feel ing, to enter into the relief of his suffering fellow-creatures. The Honourable and Learned Gentleman Who, bad just so ably spoken, had. given a faithful account of the conversation which passed at the Mansion-house. Though he was afraid it would d ra w man y men dicants in to the metropolis, and thereby do 'much evil, yet he thought it would do extreme good, and on that account he should support it. Often in the Justice Room he was obliged to send an honest 'sailor to Bridewell, because an impostor had just been in. the Court Room before him: He was decidedly of opinion that clothing the men would •do much good, and he could state in a recent iii .stance, that he sent down three men to the West 113••• (ha ddeks, who 'told him they could be engaged if they were oily clothed. Theyreturned,producina the most ample testimonies to cbaracter, on Which ,he procured, them crothing, and:they were con sequently engaged. He hoped sincerely Govern ment would interfere ; but, if they should nog, then let the Meeting, let the friends of _humanity do their duty. F,,r 'his own niirt, he should'do his utmost, because he considered these gallant men entitled_ to it from what they did for the cotintry. Lord CoCHRANg said, that if the Meeting bad not been unanimous already, the Anoving scenes which they, had beard described to-day %Vona batiiih from their minds every differetice of Opi oion.' He' attended the Meeting, in 'order t* subscribe his humble mite towards the relief of that misery which was, so general arid so severe- Subscriptintis for general purposes he never would approve. What good bad been derived from that_ general Meeting which w as h e ld t wo years ago? Was there not'atill an" abundance of%misery ? :1 3 "f he would take leave to ask to what purposes dits the' Lords o f t h e Admiralty app l y the Droits___ the Admiralty ?While they had at their dis:poset that imm ense f und, th e y gave only an of& hulk for the use of t h os e men who were the best prtitee . tion of th e lib e i l i es of the country. Many oft" 'British sailo rs h a d gone to America, for tho Americans navigated on cheaper 'terms than the English, because their taxes were not so severe' He would ask why there were no 'poor soldiers to be seen in the streets No—they were well raked' care of, while the poor sailors were sent adrift. The Administration .had the means, and it n tireir (nay to attend to the miseries of The sailors , .The Committee, be Ishouldcall ta-ugot, Admiralty for some part of those funds Which thei r bad in their possession, end if they.would do sty" lie would willingly subscribe 10001. of his l3asque - • road prizes. It was impossible, he feared, that private subscription, however liberal, should c% . tend to the whple of the evil, particularly vvltiie those fetters remained to impede the prosperitY of commerce, which were imposed by the sere- . city of taxation. The Noble Lord said that lte would yield to the voice of the Meeting,. He ar prehended that nothing could be done ,witifoult the co-operation of the Admiralty, and he hope 4 that if a ship were provided, the individnalf lodged in it might have the liberty, if they chose, to leave it again. He concluded with subsciihio4 five guineas. ZACH. M'Aut.Av, Esq. said, that the ralty had that very day given a pledge of dui something. .JAMES STEPHEN, Esq.• repeated what be hall formerly said about his interview with Lord Mtd vine, and the Secretary's letter. lie hopecrtlo Noble Lord, than whom none was more come tent to judge, respecting the qualifications of-nrca... Alen, would lend his ail to the Committee, as lit could do them an essential service. ‘Vith respect to soldiers begging, he could say'be had seen. one who'had been obliged to beg in consequence of the-reduction of the army. sore thefts was no want of attenthm,on part of G o vern- , ment to both soldier s an d sailor s . After a few observations from Mr. Siurge, Mr. Lett; andCapt.Gordon, who observed there wa's doubt that the subscription for politic relief, two years ago, had been much impeded by one indi vidual, and other unfortunate causes, the , mdtiots was agreed to unanimously,..and a Committee at). pointed, consisting of Messrs. Wilberforce, Thbrn ton, Aldermen Curtis; Shaw, Atkins and Wood, the Lord Mayor, Lord Cochrane, &c, with power to add to their numbers. A liberal subscription was afterwards entered into. Before the Meeting separated, Captain GoRD©N stated, that Government had 39,000 seamen anti marines bel ong i ng to Greenwich Hospital. Thanks were then voted to William Wilber force, Esq. for his conduct in the Chair, and his warm attention to the general interests of liw• la nifty.' • LONDON: Printea by J. B. CARSTAIRS;of No. 29, Great Ormond-street,' Queen-squarei and published by IV. A• SCAiPPS, of N o . 7, S ou th 11°1ton-street, at Tliz SUN 61lice, No. 142, Strand ; where Orders, . . kattcria (postitaitif must In addrulsctl. , o n 4Th a bity3 le r , i Pert) ii~d %it! jVsl):.: t 0.,„ °rte :ass t~ kud 1,11 41. in ti Lint at t - • or ~ C ~"I Ilt 14 I 'r,, the ha, suit ---. '. 4 1t1 fig zj•l _:ti